In a ceremony underscoring the growing importance of China to the global biopharmaceutical industry, Quintiles executives and local dignitaries announced agreements to establish a Quintiles regional headquarters for China in Shanghai and to significantly expand lab testing capabilities in China.
Chenggang Zhu, Vice Mayor, Shanghai Xuhui District People’s Government and executives from the Shanghai Clinical Research Centre (SCRC), Quintiles’ strategic partner in the China-based lab initiative, joined Quintiles’ executives at the ceremony.
“With its burgeoning economy and growing healthcare needs for its 1.3 billion citizens, China exemplifies the opportunities and challenges of the New Health. By broadening our investment and infrastructure here, Quintiles is ready to partner with our biopharma customers as they look to realize China’s potential, said Dennis Gillings, Quintiles Executive Chairman, CBE.
Under a joint venture agreement, Quintiles will engage SCRC to provide lab testing services to local customers. To provide the infrastructure essential for its growth strategy in China, Quintiles is investing $14 million to establish a new 4,000-square-metre (43,000 square feet) headquarters in Shanghai to serve China and nearby Asian countries. The office in Feng Lin Science Park is designed to achieve LEED Gold accreditation; it is expected to accommodate more than 450 employees in the next five years.
“These investments and agreements demonstrate our commitment to this District and to China,” said Ling Zhen, General Manager for Quintiles’ operations in China. “Quintiles recognises the unique needs of our customers in China. By collaborating with SCRC in labs we can help local and international biopharma companies develop new and better medicines to serve China’s enormous unmet medical needs.”
Rongxing Gan, President, SCRC, said: “SCRC’s Central Laboratory’s experienced staff and modern technology will be further enhanced through Quintiles’ investments. We are delighted to work closely with Quintiles to further biopharma innovation and improve human health.”
The Quintiles-SCRC collaboration follows last year’s launch of Kun Tuo, Quintiles’ local contract research organisation, built to help local and global biopharma companies achieve successful registration of medicines in China. Quintiles commenced operations in China in 1997, and today has existing offices in Beijing, Dalian, Hong Kong and Shanghai, with employees and capabilities to serve all major population centres and study sites across China.
EP News Bureau – Mumbai